Skip to the checklist [Care guide](/) First check The first check # Name the exact treatment. Begin with the exact product name. A broad phrase such as peptide therapy cannot tell you which medicine, preparation or label is being offered. Read the product description Approved medicine Compounded to meet a need “For research use only” Ask which description fits the exact product. ## Terms to start with The Food and Drug Administration, abbreviated FDA, is the US agency reviewing medicines. A product’s approval covers that particular medicine and its use. A clinician is a health professional who reviews your concern and talks through care with you. Compounding is the preparation of a medicine to order by a pharmacist or doctor. An FDA-registered medicine-making site can also prepare batches, often for clinics and hospitals. A prescription is an order for a medicine from the health professional prescribing it. ## A closer look at the words Product form means how the medicine is supplied, such as an injection or a tablet. Ask about the form as well as the name. Read the offer ## An approved medicine As of September 2026, Ozempic and Wegovy are among the semaglutide products with FDA approval in the United States. [FDA’s semaglutide product information](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/215256s025lbl.pdf) As of September 2026, tirzepatide injections have US approval under two brand names. Mounjaro helps people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. Zepbound helps with weight loss and keeping weight off. [FDA’s tirzepatide product information](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/215866s044s045lbl.pdf) In labels checked in September 2026, Ozempic has approval for blood-sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Wegovy has approval for losing weight and helping keep it off. [FDA’s Ozempic product label](https://www.fda.gov/media/185526/download) [FDA’s Wegovy product label](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/215256s025lbl.pdf) Ask which exact product and form the clinician means. Also ask which condition it would address. A familiar ingredient name does not identify everything being offered. Get the ingredient name, brand if any, and product form. Ask what condition the treatment is meant to address. Look more closely ## A preparation made to order As of September 2026, a compounded preparation may meet a medical need that an approved medicine does not address, but the preparation has no FDA approval. [FDA on when compounding may be appropriate](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-and-fda-questions-and-answers) Ask why a medicine made to order is proposed for you and who would make it. Keep that answer with the prescription discussion. Ask why a ready-made approved product would not meet the need. Request the actual compounder’s name. Carry this forward ## A label saying “for research use only” Look for the words “for research use only” on a research label. Another wording is “not for human consumption”. These labels describe products meant for studies, not for people to use as treatment. As of September 2026, FDA advises avoiding research-labeled weight-drug products sold for human use: their quality is unknown, and harm is possible. [FDA’s account of research-labeled products](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss) If a page pairs that label with treatment claims, keep it out of your comparison of medical care. Bring the exact name or a copy of the claim to a clinician instead. Read the label as well as the sales claim. Ask a clinician: “What care options fit my health problem?” Keep in mind ## The chapter recap The exact product is the first check. Approval, compounding and a research label describe different things. [Check who would provide care](/credential-checklist/) These pages help you weigh care; this guide runs no clinic and sells no medicine. [Text version](/first-check/index.md)